What are the Guides of Gaia?

Spirit animals can appear to you in meditations, visions, dreams, or shamanic journeys, or on this plane in physical form. The concept of spirit animals is derived from American Indian spirituality, and it is important not to separate it from this history. However, the term spirit animal is actually a non-Native phrase that people in the New Age spiritual community have coined to explain (and sometimes capitalize on, unfortunately) the sacred relationships Indigenous peoples developed over centuries with the animal kingdom and their environments. This relationship and the symbolisms attached to each animal are highly subjective among different Indigenous peoples and are impossible to generalize. It is important to honor the roots of this term and its sacred and complex meanings, as well as understand that Indigenous peoples request that non-Native people do not replicate their traditional animal imagery from totem poles and pictographs, out of respect for their cultures.[1]

Though I am not Native myself, I have found that my Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers alike invite all of their students to engage with the spiritual meaning of animals in a way that is true for each of us. For me, it is an honor to continue to share this wisdom and respect with others—which is what the Guidance from Gaia Oracle deck aims to do.

Working with animals on a spiritual level can be just as valuable as working with angels, guides, and a higher power. Have you ever noticed that there are times in your life when you keep seeing the same animal popping up again and again? Maybe a rare breed of animal? Have you ever been walking down the sidewalk and noticed an animal in your path that wouldn’t normally be there? At one time or another, we’ve all had a unique interaction with an animal that made us pause to wonder if there was a deeper meaning.

Anytime an animal crosses your path in a surprising way or manner, and you think, How peculiar, it is most likely a spirit animal! Animals guide us, teach us, and support us like this all the time.

The important thing to know about spirit animals is that you do not choose your guide; they choose you. A person can have multiple spirit animals based on what may be going on at that time, and those animals can change once a certain lesson is learned. My Guidance from Gaia Oracle: Practices and Affirmations from Spirit Animals can help you connect to the animal spirit guides.

[1] “Native American Relationships to Animals: Not Your ‘Spirit Animal,’” Native Knowledge 360°, National Museum of the American Indian website, accessed September 25, 2023, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/native-american-spirit-animal.

This article is inspired by and excerpted from Guidance from Gaia Oracle by Shannon Kaiser, published by Beyond Words. Copyright 2024.

Shannon Kaiser is a world-renowned spiritual and self-love teacher, speaker, and acclaimed empowerment coach; a bestselling author of six books on the psychology of happiness and fulfillment including The Self-Love Experiment, named number one of the “20 Self-Love Books That Will Lift You Up” by Oprah magazine; and the designer and creator of two other oracle decks and two mantra decks. She guides people to awaken and align to their true selves so they can live their highest potential. Shannon’s signature teaching is transformative, bridging spiritual and ancient wisdom with modern practical wisdom. Her self-inquiry and personal transformation books, programs, social media channels, and viral reels have reached 22 million people a month. She’s been named among the “Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness” by mindbodygreen, “your go-to happiness booster” by Health magazine, and “one of the freshest voices in mental health and wellness” by Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul. Connect with her on social media @ShannonKaiserWrites and her websites PlayWithTheWorld.com and RadicalBodyLovewithShannon.com.